Cyberman
Cybermen were a "race" of cybernetically augmented humanoids. They varied greatly in design, with different factions throughout time and space. The two major groups, from which all other known versions derived, were the Mondasian Cybermen, which originated on the planet Mondas – Earth's twin planet in the Doctor's universe – and the Cybermen created by Cybus Industries, which originated on Earth in an alternate universe. Characteristics 'Cybermen (Mondas)' Variants The Cybermen were cybernetically augmented humanoids. Though they varied greatly in design over time (most likely due to the technology available to them), the many versions had several things in common. Nearly all were silver in colour, except for a black variety in the London sewers. Cybermen also exhibited exposed circuitry and tubing covering a rubbery or mylar-like outer skin. Cybermen frequently attempted to increase their numbers by cyber-conversion. The Mondasians which the First Doctor met on Snowcap Base in December 1986 had undergone a less radical conversion and still retained biological hands. All other Cybermen were entirely covered by their metallic suits. Some partial conversions were known to exist that still held human features, among them Tobias Vaughn. The Cybermen on the Moonbase and those released by Eric Klieg on Telos were slim. The ones which infiltrated Briggs' freighter in 2526 had bulkier, more imposing forms. Cybermen like these also existed in the 1980s. Mondasian Cybermen had a quavering voice which put inflected syllables in a seemingly random, sing-song manner. Later Cybermen spoke in more of a monotone, emphasising their lack of emotion. Conversion Cyber-conversion was the process by which compatible beings were physically and mentally altered into Cybermen. This process was necessary for the Cybermen to increase in number. It was carried out at many locations. Partial conversions occurred. In a partial conversion, the subject took on several features of the Cybermen. For example, Tobias Vaughn's torso was immune to gunfire. Other partial conversions involved the covering of some areas of the body in armour, leaving bare skin in others. This type of partial conversion could be caused by scarcity of parts and lack of time. Vulnerabilities Cybermen had major weaknesses. The most notable was the element gold which, being non-corrosive, choked their respiratory systems, a property exploited by the glittergun used during the Cyber-Wars. On occasion, the mere touch of gold was toxic to them. Gold coins or gold-tipped arrows might destroy them. Gold also blocked their sensors and caused the cybermats to malfunction. Other weaknesses of the Cybermen included the combination of solvents known as Cocktail Polly and excessive levels of radiation. Cybermen affected by the Cerebration Mentor, an emotion-enhancing device, went "mad". 20th century guns could damage Cybermen, but did not kill them. Explosives and bazooka shells took them down easily. UNIT developed gold-tipped rounds to combat Cybermen. At close range, attacks with energy and laser weapons could kill Cybermen. Raston Warrior Robots counted Cybermen among the many beings they could kill. Although equipped only with javelins and blades, the technology of the robots allowed them to easily destroy several Cybermen. 'Cybermen (Pete's World)' Conversion Unlike the Cybermen of the Doctor's universe, these Cybermen were created by taking the brains of humans and placing them in robotic bodies. These exostructures were built from High Content Metal and were stauncher and more heavily built than the Cybermen of Mondas. Cyber-conversion involved painfully removing the brain of the subject and placing it within a suit of armour. The brain was preserved in a cradle of Cybus-copyrighted chemicals and welded to the exoskeleton, to which cyber-kinetic impulses were bonded. The remaining human body was simply incinerated. Once complete, the newly developed Cyberman had a special implant placed within them. The implant prevented them from feeling their emotions, but, if the implants were disrupted, the Cybermen entered a traumatic state as they were overloaded by the pain of the conversion. This would make them die in agony or cause their heads to explode from the overload of emotions. In times of emergency, cyber-conversion consisted of only constructing a Cyber-suit around a living being with some internal modifications. Operation The Cyber-suit was constructed from bulletproof steel. A chest plate with the Cybus Industries logo housed a "heart of steel", the function of which is unclear, and the emotional inhibitor chip. The brain, remained contained within the suit's head, though the skull was included in more hastily converted units. Artificially grown nervous tissue was threaded throughout the body so the Cyberman responded like a fully biological organism. The eyepieces of a Cyberman allowed it to see the world as blue, digital graphics. The hearing of a Cyberman let it hear things similar to radio, albeit slightly garbled. Without a brain inserted, the Cyber-suit was a robot which apparently had sufficient processing capacity to pursue and attack a human target. Cybermen heads were programmed to seek out 'fresh meat" and try assimilating a compatible new head into the body if the original organic part rotted away. Because the victim would obviously fight back, the heads were outfitted with tranquilliser darts; wires from the head could also operate as tentacles to restrain the victims as well. If a Cyberman was dismantled, its body parts were still capable of operating independently and rejoining together, so long as they remained in working condition. Typically, Cybermen were led by a during conversion missions. If the Cyber Leader was terminated then the Cybermen downloaded the shared files and nominated a new Cyber Leader. However, this would take time. Other leader variations are Cyber-Lords and Cyber-Kings. Voice These Cybermen spoke in an electronic voice, far more emotionless and deeper than the Cybermen of the Doctor's universe. Because of their lack of emotions, the Cybermen used technical terms like "compatible" and their battle cry, "DELETE!". The Cybermen were shown to misunderstand emotional terms. For example, the Cyber-Lord couldn't understand the word 'best' so Miss Hartigan had to say "I will operate at maximum efficiency". Cybermen (in the Arctic) While in the Arctic, the Doctor encountered Cybermen that greatly resembled the Cybus-made Cybermen, and were said to be brains in metal shells like the Cybus creations, but also had certain characteristics common to the Cybermen of Mondas. For instance, they used Cybermats, they recognised the Eleventh Doctor as a Time Lord, and they had advanced spacefaring capabilities. This unnamed group of Cybermen was buried under the ice in the Arctic Circle and had been for tens of thousands of years after being hit by a temporal storm. An excavation began to awaken the army, commanded by a Cyber-Lord, releasing Cybermats which in turn created Cyberslaves. The Eleventh Doctor arrived on 4 May 2010 and stopped their awakening. He blew up their base and returned them to stasis. The Doctor acquired a chest plate from one of these Cybermen and kept it in the TARDIS drawing room. The Doctor also kept the Cyberman head in the drawing room. Cybermen (Cyber Legions) The Cyber Legions were a major power in space possessing at least twelve fleets in the 52nd century. Outwardly these Cybermen resembled the Cybermen of Cybus Industries but their chest logo featured a simple circle instead of the Cybus logo. They were known to use blasters on their wrists and terms such as "Delete" and "Upgrade" like the Cybus Industries Cybermen as well as Cybermats, Cybermites and Cyber-Planners. Their arsenal also consisted of large handheld weapons which were sometimes used in place of wrist blasters. Technology and Weapons 'Cyberman (Mondas)' The Cybermen forces in 2526 used the Cyberlance, a powerful, hand-held cutting weapon. They also used the Cyberscope, a device that allowed Cyber commanders to view the battlefield remotely and access a computer database (containing, among other data, information on their race's encounters with the Doctor). Cybermen in 1986 had a built-in distress signal in their heads that could be activated manually. The chest unit of a Cyberman is vital to the operation of its life support system. Should the Cybermen have acquired time travel, they would have become strong enough to crush the Draconians, the Sontarans and even the Daleks. Weapons (Short Range) When they attacked Earth in 1986, Cybermen carried large, hand-held, energy weapons. On the Moon in 2070, Cybermen could produce arcs of electricity from their hands to stun and disable. In the 21st century, the Cybermen who attacked Space Station W3 had death rays built into their chest units. The Cybermen encountered by UNIT in the late 20th century displayed these same built-in weapons. They also carried large rifles for medium range combat on London's streets. The Cybermen who attacked the Nerva Beacon had their weapons built into their helmets. They were activated with the touch of a hand. In time, the Cybermen came to favour the hand-held cyber-gun over the built-in weapon. Weapons (Other) In the 20th century, the Cybermen invasion fleet had a megatron bomb that could destroy all life on Earth. In 2070, the Cybermen had a cannon which could operate in the vacuum of Space. They used it on the surface of the Moon. Due to its mass, it required two Cybermen to operate it. Cybermen in 2526, the invaders of Voga, and the Cybermen removed by Time Scoop to the Death Zone had portable cyber-bombs that could devastate planets. Neurotrope X incapacitated humans before the Cybermen made an overt move. Cybermen sometimes used Cybermats to spread the virus to the population. The Cybermen were strong enough to kill with their hands without any extra weaponry or electric-based attack. 'Cyberman (Pete's World)' Originally, their only weapons were their electrified hands, but they later gained a small wrist-mounted energy weapon. They could act on their own, or be commanded by a wireless signal from the head. To keep victims from escaping, the Cybermen eventually equipped their heads with tranquilliser darts to sedate them. The Cybermen were capable of wirelessly communicating with each other, and when a Cyber-Leader was killed, their files were transferred to an appointed Cyberman, who would subsequently be upgraded to a new Cyber-Leader. They could wirelessly control electronics, such as John Lumic's wheelchair; this function was associated with a Cyberman bringing its closed fist to its chest. They were also capable of using infostamps, allowing them to communicate information to other Cybermen when they were low on power. They were also able to steal other technology from the Daleks whilst inside the Void, such as a Dimension Vault. They eventually developed Cyber-weapons of their own, although bulkier and more rifle-like than the Mondasian versions. They eventually developed means of space travel and ventured into space. However, their technology was initially quite primitive and incompatible with time travel, as demonstrated when their ship was destroyed by a Dalek Time Axis. By the time they joined the Alliance, their space travel seemed more advanced, similar to that of the Cybermen from Mondas. Cybermen (Cyber Legions) The Cyber Legions were a major power in space possessing at least twelve fleets in the 52nd century. Outwardly these Cybermen resembled the Cybermen of Cybus Industries but their chest logo featured a simple circle instead of the Cybus logo. They were known to use blasters on their wrists and terms such as "Delete" and "Upgrade" like the Cybus Industries Cybermen as well as Cybermats, Cybermites and Cyber-Planners. Their arsenal also consisted of large handheld weapons which were sometimes used in place of wrist blasters. Category:Cybermen Category:Humanoid Species Category:Species Category:Cybermen (Mondas) Category:Cybermen (Pete's World)